Phil Bronstein

On the 25th anniversary of the People’s Power Revolution in the Philippines, the award winning foreign correspondent and executive vice president and editor-at-large of the San Francisco ChroniclePhil Bronstein discusses covering the Philippines from the assassination of Ninoy Aquino to the ouster of the Marcos regime, and the installation of Corazon Aquino, with Joseph Planta; as well, the contemporary revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya are compared.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at THECOMMENTARY.CA.

In recent weeks, in Tunisia and Egypt, we’ve heard angry mobs calling for their dictators to flee. We’ve seen regime change in those two countries, and we’re watching now to see if Libya is next. A lot of people have been drawing comparisons to the People’s Power Revolution in the Philippines which occurred 25 years ago this week. Joining me now to look back at what happened then, as well as to look at what’s going on now is Phil Bronstein. There’s no one better, as in 1986 he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his work covering the Philippines. At the time he was a reporter for the San Francisco Examiner, and was covering the revolution with his photographer Kim Komenich. I’ll ask Mr. Bronstein about what it was like in the Philippines 25 years ago, what it was like being in the crucible of a revolution, the end of a dictatorship, the fleeing of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, the rise of Corazon Aquino and her installation as president. We’ll look back too at the assassination of Ninoy Aquino and how that event in 1983 marked the beginning of the end for Marcos, and the road to EDSA, a popular name for the revolution taken from the Manila thoroughfare where millions gathered 25 years ago this week. Phil Bronstein is executive vice president and editor-at-large of the San Francisco Chronicle. His blog, Bronstein At Large can be found on the Chronicle’s website, www.sfgate.com. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Phil Bronstein; Good morning, Mr. Bronstein.